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Australian Institute of Architects Awards: ACT Urban Design Award Winner

8 June 2023

By OCULUS

A square photograph of an urban linear park landscape. There is a small child walking in the nature-play 'creek'. Industrial concrete forms are seen in the distance, including a large pipe for play, and a lush tree canopy obscures the blue sky.

Images: Dairy Road

The Dairy Road Precinct, a collaboration between OCULUS and Craig Tan Architects, has been recognised with an Award for Urban Design at the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) ACT Chapter Architecture Awards!

The 14-hectare site, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, incorporates a linear nature park that features water play, endemic planting, and a lawn for recreational activities. A series of outdoor spaces expand the use of the building, including a small events space and shaded seating areas.

The jury writes, “In approaching development with a curator’s care, Dairy Road has championed a new form of mixed-use industrial precinct. Intimate internal laneways extend inwards from the exterior of the building, creating a series of courtyards and social spaces lined with professional studios, maker spaces, galleries and even a theatre. This network serves to create a village that weaves through the buildings, providing places that encourage interaction, gathering, and invite opportunities for discovery and places to reflect.”

A landscape photograph of an urban linear park on a sunny day, green trees surround the park, seating areas are seen in the foreground. People can be seen in the distance through the trees. Part of a converted warehouse building is visible on the edge of the picture.

“The Jury was deeply impressed with the knowing choreography of ‘public’ space in and around the project. From a practical standpoint, the Jury also felt that this project demonstrated clear leadership in adaptive reuse and created a meaningful precedent for future development in Canberra and elsewhere.”

The AIA national awards program aims to uphold excellence in the profession by recognising best practice and inspiring others to positively shape communities through architecture.

The Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Victorian and New South Wales chapters have released their 2023 Awards shortlists. We noticed a few familiar projects on the list, and we look forward to celebrating the work of our collaborators:

The Victorian Chapter Awards will be revealed on 16 June, and the NSW Chapter Awards will be announced on 23 June 2023.

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